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Difference between revisions of "Rodent man"

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(I added more detail about rodent man attacks after enduring one in my game that was actually quite a lot larger than a prior surface siege. I was only able to kill the ones riding elk birds by chasing them into cage traps which snagged the mounts and left the rodent men on the ground. I don't recall them being like that in previous versions, so I think this might be new for 0.5, but I might be wrong.)
(Changed to reflect their behavior as of v0.50.10)
 
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'''Rodent men''' are one of the many underworld tribal [[Creature|races]] of [[animal people]], living on any [[cavern]] level milling around piles of [[food|meat]] and [[leather|tanned hides]]. They stand at roughly the size of an adult [[dwarf]]. Despite their description, they are a separate species from the [[rat man]].
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'''Rodent men''' are one of the many [[Creature|races]] of underworld tribal [[creature]]s (''[[animal people]], per se, but design choices apparently voided them of that status'') found living on any [[cavern]] level. They stand at roughly the size of an adult [[dwarf]]. Note that they are a separate species from the [[rat man]].
  
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Approach with caution, unless the tribe is friendly. If the tribe is friendly, feel free to take advantage of them in fine imperialistic tradition and steal all their resources without compensation. To check whether a tribe of rodent men is friendly, press {{k|u}} to view the unit list. The tribe will be labeled as either hostile or friendly. Alternatively, press {{k|v}} to view one of their profiles.
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Despite being labelled as hostile in the unit list, rodent men initially found in the caverns will ignore your citizens unless provoked. They will usually be observed carrying wooden [[spear]]s, [[blowgun]]s and [[shield]]s, although they are sometimes seen using metal items instead. These can range from [[copper]] to [[steel]], and is presumably a bug. Depending on which other subterranean creatures they have access to, their [[blowdart]]s will be covered in different [[syndrome|poisons]], which can vary from mildly annoying [[cave spider]] venom to highly [[fun|dangerous]] [[giant cave spider]] toxins. You can preemptively check for poisons by selecting a [[blowgunner]], looking in their items tab and viewing their blowdarts.
  
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Like many underground races, the danger of rodent men is not to be found in their [[wood]]en [[weapon]]s, but in the substances smeared on them - rodent men use many [[syndrome|poisons]], some of which can be deadly. They will launch group attacks on your fort, though unlike other animal people, they will not path through water to reach your dwarves. These attacks can be quite large, even comparable to sieges, and may include pets or mounts such as elk birds, giant olms, or giant cave swallows, the latter of which permits a flying rodent man blowgunner to shoot dwarves from above, beyond the reach of melee fighters. Rodent men riding elk birds are significantly faster than dwarves and may require more creative methods to defeat. However, they typically wear apparel of cloth or leather, so they can be easily dispatched in large numbers by a trained dwarf with metal gear, even copper. Much of the vanquished rodent men's clothing can be worn by dwarves due to their similar size. A repelled rodent man attack provides many blowguns and darts which dwarves can use, though the weapon is of questionable utility. Despite their description, they do not possess the {{token|EVIL}} token and are not any more malevolent than any other race of animal people.
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Rodent men may launch [[ambush|group attacks]] on your fort. When this happens, all tribesmen on the map will become hostile, even if they were peaceful minutes prior to the invasion. They may arrive with [[pet]]s and [[mount]]s, some of which will be able to fly or easily catch up to your fleeing civilians. These invaders, unlike their above-ground counterparts, will not leave after some time has passed, even if your fort is completely sealed off from the caverns, nor will they prevent migrants, caravans or other invaders from arriving. This includes more waves of rodent men. Because of this, several unchallenged assaults from them can quickly cause your game's FPS to drop to single digit levels, making your fort completely unplayable.
  
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In [[adventurer mode]], rodent men can be found swarming at catacombs under [[temple]]s, and their lack of [[armor]] may make them attractive targets for training one's [[combat skill]]s.
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Despite their description, they do not possess the {{token|EVIL}} token and are not any more malevolent than any other race of animal people.
  
 
Some [[dwarves]] [[Preferences|like]] rodent men for their ''terrifying features''.
 
Some [[dwarves]] [[Preferences|like]] rodent men for their ''terrifying features''.

Latest revision as of 15:57, 26 September 2023

!!UNKNOWN!!  · xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼
Rodent man
Rodent man sprite.png
r

Toggle

Urist likes rodent men for their terrifying features.
Portrait

No portrait

Biome

  • Underground Depth: 1-3
Attributes

· Learns · Humanoid

Cannot be tamed 
Size
Birth: 1,000 cm3
Mid: 8,000 cm3
Max: 40,000 cm3

Age
Child at: 1
Adult at: 12
Max age: 60-80
Cannot be butchered
v50.13 · v0.47.05
This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.
An evil humanoid with a long tail, black spiky fur and a twitching nose. It lives far underground.

Rodent men are one of the many races of underworld tribal creatures (animal people, per se, but design choices apparently voided them of that status) found living on any cavern level. They stand at roughly the size of an adult dwarf. Note that they are a separate species from the rat man.

Despite being labelled as hostile in the unit list, rodent men initially found in the caverns will ignore your citizens unless provoked. They will usually be observed carrying wooden spears, blowguns and shields, although they are sometimes seen using metal items instead. These can range from copper to steel, and is presumably a bug. Depending on which other subterranean creatures they have access to, their blowdarts will be covered in different poisons, which can vary from mildly annoying cave spider venom to highly dangerous giant cave spider toxins. You can preemptively check for poisons by selecting a blowgunner, looking in their items tab and viewing their blowdarts.

Rodent men may launch group attacks on your fort. When this happens, all tribesmen on the map will become hostile, even if they were peaceful minutes prior to the invasion. They may arrive with pets and mounts, some of which will be able to fly or easily catch up to your fleeing civilians. These invaders, unlike their above-ground counterparts, will not leave after some time has passed, even if your fort is completely sealed off from the caverns, nor will they prevent migrants, caravans or other invaders from arriving. This includes more waves of rodent men. Because of this, several unchallenged assaults from them can quickly cause your game's FPS to drop to single digit levels, making your fort completely unplayable.

Despite their description, they do not possess the [EVIL] token and are not any more malevolent than any other race of animal people.

Some dwarves like rodent men for their terrifying features.

Note: May look less aggressive in-game.
D4Dwarf.png This article or section has been rated D for Dwarf. It may include witty humour, not-so-witty humour, bad humour, in-jokes, pop culture references, and references to the Bay12 forums. Don't believe everything you read, and if you miss some of the references, don't worry. It was inevitable.


While many claim to have seen rodent men with their own eyes, any self-respecting scholar knows that they're but an unproven rumour to scare little dwarven children. The very possibility that a society of rodent men can live right under dwarven feet is preposterous.

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